Carnival Vista Review
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We chose this cruise because of it gave us a great itinerary and allowed us to stretch our budget enough to spend a few days in Greece before embarking joining the cruise. We were picked up form the Athens airport by Carnival and it was impressively smooth. The driver was fantastic and the embarkation process from the airport to getting on the ship was simple and efficient. When we got on board, our luggage was already at our room, giving us a chance to get unpacked and settled before the muster drill.
The hallways were substantially wider than any ship we had been on previously, but this is our first newer ship so this may be more standard now. Also, despite being a sold out cruise, it rarely felt crowded on the ship. It was the largest ship we have been on and it was nice that it didn't feel like you were constantly fighting with people for elevator access and space on the deck, etc. The casino was one major drawback. You had to go through it to navigate from front to back of the ship on deck 4 and it was always smokey and the smoke tended to waft out into the common areas on either side. Being a new ship I would have expected it to have much better ventilation.
The staff was amazing, from the dining staff to the entertainment staff. Although we did find that we had some trouble with meals being extremely slow in certain areas of the dining room. There was a bit of confusion on the first night surrounding special dietary needs but things were straightened out and they provided a delicious meal. Every other night was smooth, with menus being provided for the next day at the end of the meal.
Cabin Review
Family Harbor Deluxe Ocean View
We had a fully accessible room which included no lip on the bathroom door and a roll in shower. One thing to note about the room is that it only allows for wheelchair access from one side of the bed so this is important to note if it matters to you. The room had an automatic door, operated by the key card and numerous pull cords in the room and bathroom for assistance if you were to fall. There was a nice nook which might be good for storing a scooter but there was no place nearby to charge it. In my quick glance around the room for such an outlet, I did not see one but we were not in need of charging capabilities. If you are, you might want to come prepared for a room with ample space for a scooter or chair but very few outlets as is fairly typical on a cruise ship.
One window was partially obscured but the second was a clear view. We enjoyed having the view to watch the ports as we sailed in. The curtains are great as they tuck way back into the walls. There was a wardrobe for clothing but it seemed like we had less storage space than on previous ships, including no full length hanging space. One section of the closet was a double rod hanging section and the other shelves/drawers. The design was not great because you had to open the door to the closet to then get at the drawers and shelves but there was wide open access to it.